Bag-fastener.



m lZZZd/MZJZ? 5 1 A l E. Ta LANCASTER.

` BAG FASTENER.

APPLICATIUN FILED JuLY 8.1918.

1,287,704. Patented Dee. 17, 1918.

EDGAR LANCASTER, 0F PALATKA, FLORIDA.

BAG-FASTENER.

specification of Lettersratent.

Patented Dee. 1v, 191e.

Application filed July 8, 1918. Serial N o. 243,849.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR T; LANCAS- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Palatka, in the county of Putnam and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Bag-Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this applicationis adapted primarily but not exclusively to hold a cord or like flexible element about the-neck of a bag, and particularly about the neck of a mail bag, and the invention aims to provide a light simple structure, whereby the ends of the flexible element may be gripped and held.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides inthe combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, ywithin the scope of what is claimed, changes in the Precise embodiment of thle invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figures l and 2 are elevations wherein opposite sides of the device are shown;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view wherein parts appear in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an elevation wherein the dev1ce is spread open.

The device forming the subject matter of this application preferably is made of metal throughout and comprises a main member 1 in the form of an oblong plate provided at its free end with a rectangularly disposed keeper 2 in the form of a flange having a pair of cord receiving openings 3, and provided with a locking opening 4 which may be located between the openings 3. The invention includes an auxiliary member 5, which, like the main member 1 may be in the form of an oblong plate, the members 1 and 5 being terminally connected by means of a hinge 6 of any desired sort. There are cord receiving: openings 7 in the main member 1, adjacent to the hinge 6, the openings 7 being disposed opposite to each other, The openings 7 are spaced apart by a distance which is approximately the same as that existing between thev opening 3 in the keeper 2, although, obviously, the openings may be arranged in various ways, without jeopardizing the utility of the structure. Cord receiving openings 8 are formed in the auxilia-ry member 5, near to the hinge 6, the openings 8 being disposed opposite to each other, and being spaced apart by a distance which, preferably, is somewhat less than the distance betweenthe openings 7 in the main member 1. A lock case 9 is attached to the outer face of the auxiliary member 5, near to the free end thereof. There are cord receiving openings 10 in the auxiliary member i 5 to the rear of the 'lock case 9. The openthe opening 4 in the keeper 2 of the main member 1.' The latch 11, is controlled, in the usual way, by a slidable button 12. A hole 14 is formed in the case 9, to which a key may be inserted, to lock the latch 11 against movement, if desired.

The numeral 15 marks a flexible element, such as a cord, the same being fashioned into a loop 16 adapted to extend around the neck of a mail bag or like container. The ends of the flexible element 16 are passed inwardly through the openings 3 in the keeper 2, and are extended rearwardly along the inner sur* face of the main member 1, the ends of the flexible element being carriedoutwardly through the'openings 7 in the main member 1 and being extended across the hinge 6. Thence, the ends of the flexible element 15 are carried inwardly through the openings 8 in the auxiliary member 5 and are extended along the inner surface of the auxiliary member. Finally, the ends of the flexible element 15 are extended outwardly through the openings 10 in the member 5.

The auxiliary member 5 is swung over on top of the main member 1, and the latch 11 engages in the opening 4 of t-he keeper 2. lf a temporary fastening is desired, the structure is not locked, but if a permanent fastening is desired, then a key is inserted through the hold 15 and the latch 11 is locked against movement. The flexible element 15 is of sufiicient diameter, so that when the members 1 and 5 are disposed in parallelism, those portions of the flexible element which liebetween the members 1 and 5 will be securely pinched and bound therebetween. Since the openings 4 and 7 are spaced apart more widely than are the openings 8 and 10, those portions of the flexible element l5 which lie along the inner surface of the auxiliaryv member 5 will lit between those portions of` the flexible element which extend along the inner surface of the member l, when the members l and 5 are closed together.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is simple and light in construction, and affords a means whereby a. cord may be held securely in the form of a loop. If the structure is used on a mail pouch, practically all of the cumbersome fastenings frequently applied to retainers of that sort may be dispensed with.

The member l may be provided with a holder 20 adapted to carry route cards and the like. 4

Having thus described the invention,what is claimed is l. In a bag fastener, a main member, an auxiliary member, and a hinge uniting the members at one end, the Aopposite end ot' the main member having a keeper, and the corresponding end of the auxiliary member having means for engaging the keeper releasably, both of said members having cord receiving openings disposed adjacent to the hinge, the auxiliary member having a cord receiving opening near its free end, and

there being a cord receiving opening in the keeper.

In a mail bag fastener, a main member, an auxiliary member, and a hinge uniting the members at one end, the opposite end of the main member having a keeper, and the corresponding end of the auxiliary member having means for engaging the keeper releasably, the keeper having openings, there being openings in both members near to the hinge, and one of said members being provided with openings disposed near to its free end; and a flexible element fashioned into a loop, the ends of the flexible element being extended inwardly through the openings in the keeper, outwardly through one set of the openings near the hinge, around the exterior of the hinge, inwardly through the other set of the yopenings near the hinge, and outwardly through the openings in the said one member, those portions of the flexible element which yare disposed between the main and auxiliary members, being gripped thereby.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, l have hereto affixed my signature the presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR T. LANCASTER.

Witnesses MILDRED L. PEARCE, FRED T. MERRILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eachg, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

